Trump favors improving US, UK ties with Russia and China

US President Donald Trump©  EPA-EFE/CHRISTIAN BRUNA

US President Donald Trump spoke in favor of improving relations with Moscow and Beijing, saying that he can "get along very well" with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the Mail on Sunday quoted him as saying in an interview with journalist Piers Morgan.

"I think we could probably get along very well. Somebody said are you friends or enemies? I said well it’s too early to say but right now I say we’re competitors but for the United States, and frankly the UK and other places, to get along with Russia and China and all of these other places…. that’s a good thing, that’s not a bad thing. That’s a really good thing," he said.

The US leader added that Putin should "respect" what NATO members did to strengthen their alliance.

"We have now a much more solid NATO than they’ve had for years. And last year, since I was elected, we picked up 34 billion dollars extra," he was quoted as saying. "Now, if you add that into all the other things I’ve done, President Putin has to respect what we’ve done."

Donald Trump is currently on a working visit to the United Kingdom. On Sunday evening, the US President plans to take off for Helsinki, where he is to meet with Putin on the following day.